Agriculture and FoodDevelopmentEconomicsEducationEmploymentEnergyEnvironmentFinance and InvestmentGovernanceIndustry and ServicesNuclear EnergyScience and TechnologySocial Issues/Migration/HealthTaxationTradeTransportUrban, Rural and Regional Development

OECD Economics Department Working Papers

Working papers from the Economics Department of the OECD that cover the full range of the Department’s work including the economic situation, policy analysis and projections; fiscal policy, public expenditure and taxation; and structural issues including ageing, growth and productivity, migration, environment, human capital, housing, trade and investment, labour markets, regulatory reform, competition, health, and other issues.

The views expressed in these papers are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect those of the OECD or of the governments of its member countries.

Financial Sector Reform in India

Time for a Second Wave?

The Indian financial system has changed considerably since the 1990s. Interest rates have been deregulated and new entrants allowed in the banking and the securities business. The Indian equity market has become world-class. New private banks have emerged that are more customer-oriented than the older state-owned banks. Meanwhile, the scale of saving within the economy has expanded considerably, much as in East Asian economies during their high-growth period. This adds to the need for further financial-sector reform. In particular, banks need much greater freedom in asset allocation. While public-sector banks did appear sounder to the public during the 2007/08 crisis due to implicit government backing, they ought to be privatised to improve their governance and minimise the recurrent need for recapitalisation. The remaining obstacles to new entry have to be reduced. Financial inclusion is an important priority and restrictions on microfinance should be avoided. The regulatory and legal framework also needs to be overhauled, consolidating the diverse legislation. While such reforms would improve financial sector efficiency they would also likely have positive spillover effects on the rest of the economy and help sustain rapid growth.
This Working Paper relates to the 2011 OECD Economic Survey of India (www.oecd.org/eco/surveys/india)